Apples
by YuugisGirl
Summary: Love is a strange thing. It twists your insides like nothing else can. It drives you crazy and yet keeps you coming back for more. It preys relentlessly on your heart and soul but somehow makes you complete. And there is nothing more divine. Euroshipping


A/N: Hey people! This is my Euroshipping entry for the fourth round of Compy's writing contest. It takes place a few years after the ceremonial duel. Everyone is in college, with the exception of the Kaibas (Mokuba still being in high school and Seto running the company and in no need for further schooling). Ryou is also a vegetarian. Forgive me if he does eat meat somewhere in the anime or manga that I can't recall…but he just doesn't seem like the carnivorous type to me… He also lives in the Game Shop since Yugi's Grandpa died. Anyway I hope you enjoy this!

Note: "Tattletale" is a made up game of my creation, but if there is really something like it out there then the rights don't belong to me!

Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Now read!

Apples

Seto Kaiba loved his little brother more then anything in the world. Anyone who knew him could tell you that. He'd do anything for that mop headed boy. Hell, he'd threatened suicide to rescue his soul from that megalomaniac Pegasus! Yes, Kaiba loved his brother…at least… most of the time anyway…

"Damn Mokuba! Damn him to the deepest fires that hell has to offer!" Kaiba cursed under his breath as he glared daggers into the plastic cup he held tightly in his fist.

Said black haired teen was currently chatting away merrily to the blonde mutt Jounouchi, laughing at only god knows what and looking as though he was having the time of his life. Irritating little brat.

Kaiba leaned farther against the wall, as though making himself as flat as possible would help him avoid inevitable conversation with the rest of the nerd herd. They were all currently clustered around the main attraction of the festivities. Yugi. The spiky haired teen was buried beneath a mountainous pile of presents and blushing madly from all the attention. "You really didn't need to do this…" he continually stammered as his friends continued to flutter around his head, chirping incessantly and reminding Kaiba forcibly of birds.

"It's not every day your best bud turns twenty!" a brawny looking brunette from behind Yugi called, wrapping the crook of his elbow around the birthday boy's neck in a one armed hug .Who was he again? Hanlo? Honfla? The young CEO shook his head in annoyance. Why did it matter what the moron's name was?!

Cobalt eyes returned their glaring gaze back on the punch in Kaiba's hand. This was all Mokuba's fault!

"_Big brother! Can we please go to Yugi's surprise party this weekend?"_

_Kaiba glared at his brother in annoyance, something he often did, though most of the time in jest. "Why would I care to spend my time with Mutou and his cheerleaders?!"_

"_Please big brother?" At that moment the young CEO deemed that someone should make puppy dog eyes illegal._

Kaiba glared over at Mokuba again, who by now was conversing with the entire Mutou posse like he was one of them. He needed to find a way to keep the cretins persuasive tongue under control…maybe duck tape…

The brunette smirked and brought the cup in his hands to his lips. It was all Mokuba's fault he was here in this ratty little game shop listing to tasteless music, breathing the same air as those pathetic cheerleaders and - Kaiba choked and spluttered, spewing pink lemonade all over the carpet before him - drinking poison!

The teen grimaced, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth in disgust and setting the vile concoction down upon the table beside him.

"Hey Kaiba are you alright?" Feminine blue eyes cast him an anxious glance and a pale hand was placed lightly on his arm.

Damn! He'd attracted their attention! Let the torture begin.

"Fine." He grunted, attempting not to make eye contact with Anzu in the hopes that she would go away.

The girl seemed to get the gist. "Well…there's burgers if you want any." She said before turning back towards the others. She knew when to back off, Kaiba would grudgingly give her that much.

"Big brother, please come eat." Mokuba had wandered over towards him in concern and now shot his elder sibling a pleading look.

"Oh no!" Kaiba shook his head fiercely, sinking further into the safety of the wall.

"You've barely said anything the entire time we've been here! Come and be sociable!" Mokuba's eyes grew wider and more pathetic. Kaiba tried his best to ignore them.

After several moments a silence a sly grin stretched the smaller's face. "If you come eat we'll leave sooner!" he chanted in a sing song voice.

The CEO's icy demeanor fell and he let out an exasperated sigh. "You play me like a violin."

Mokuba smiled, taking his brother's hand and leading him over to the table where the rest of the geek squad was huddled. "You just make it too easy Seto!"

"So… looks like Kaiba finally decided to man up and join us!" Jounouchi scoffed, tossing his hair back and glaring at the new comer.

"Jou…" Yugi gave the blonde a look that clearly said 'Please play nice!'

"Oh Motou its fine." The CEO smirked, giving the table at large at disdainful glance. "If it were my choice I'd be starving at the bottom of a dry hole in the middle of the desert and not sharing meaningless conversation and burgers…" he grimaced at the lumpy food "…with your friends and the mutt. But someone else had other plans." He shot Mokuba a look and the blushing boy bowed his black head and pushed him down into a chair.

"Please be nice big brother!" he whispered urgently into his ear. "These are our _friends_!"

"_Your _friends!" the elder hissed back. Mokuba frowned but didn't try to argue, taking a seat next to his brother.

"I wish he would go get stuck in a hole!" Jounouchi growled under his breath, but none but Yugi heard him.

"Soooo!" Anzu said nervously, leaning in towards the middle of the table and pulling the tray greasy gourmet burgers towards her. "Who wants so eat?"

There were cries of delight around the table. Jonouchi and the brunette Kaiba could not name loaded their plates until a mountainous pile of meat lay before them. Yugi and Anzu each took a burger or two for themselves and Mokuba dropped a dripping patty onto his and his brother's plastic plates.

Kaiba's mouth screwed up in disgust as he beheld the brown mound that oozed clear, greasy fluids. "It's like a heart attack on a bun!" he scoffed, pushing the offending substance away from him.

"Seto!" Mokuba hissed.

Yugi giggled however at Kaiba's comment. "Grandpa always did make them that way!" His eyes darkened for a moment and the CEO could have sworn he saw the tell tale glisten of tears in his amethyst eyes, but the next second it was gone and he was smiling widely. "Please try to eat them anyway." He chuckled before biting down and taking a large chunk out of his own sandwich.

"I'll pass." The voice was soft and issued from the space to Kaiba's left. The brunette turned to a see a boy he hadn't noticed before standing around the table with the others. His white hair and fair skin seemed familiar to the blue eyed boy. Wasn't this the kleptomaniac freak show that he and Yugi's darker half had taken down? No…that spirit had gone away and besides the teen before him had much softer, almost feminine features and round brown eyes unlike the revenge filled fiery depths his yami had possessed

The pale boy was green in the face as he eyed the burgers and he backed away slightly from the table.

"Oh Ryou I'm so sorry! We don't have a vegetarian meal for you!" Yugi smacked himself on the forehead and glanced apologetically at his albino friend. Ryou just shrugged, however, stepping back even further so there was a wide birth between himself and the greasy meat.

Yugi hopped up and ran over to the refrigerator. "What do you want me to get you? I'll make what every you want." He called over his shoulder as he rummaged through the contents of the bulky appliance.

"No Yugi really it's not your fault! We planned the party! It's your birthday! Sit down and enjoy and I'll just have an apple. Really that's all I want!" he replied as Yugi showed signs of protest.

The spiky haired boy sighed and took back his seat beside Jounouchi as Ryou extracted an apple from the refrigerator and bit into the crimson fruit with an obnoxious 'crunch'.

"Now then…back to the feast!" Jounouchi chimed, grabbing the ketchup bottle and squeezing gluttonous amounts of scarlet onto his already exploding pile of vegetables, patties and buns with a revolting squelching noise.

"Jounouchi that's gross!" Anzu whined, wrinkling her nose.

Ryou's soft voice flowed in from the corner were he had taken refuge from the nauseating sight. "Sometimes you disgust me Jou."

And despite himself, Kaiba felt a miniscule smile creep across his face.

* * *

Kaiba glanced over at Yugi a victorious smirk planted squarely upon his jaw. "Your move." He sneered. There was no way Yugi was wriggling his way out of this trap. His blue eyes white dragon sat in proud formation on the table top between them. Only two pathetic monsters, Kuriboh and the Magician of Faith, remained on Yugi's side of the field since Kaiba's last attack had obliterated the short teen's Curse of Dragon and brought the King of Game's life points down to a mere eight hundred.

"Come on Yug! You can take him! You've done it before." Jounouchi's irritating voice called from the couch where the others sat, watching the match. Always the cheerleader.

Kaiba cast the blonde a patronizing look. "You're all talk and no action mutt or else you'd beat me yourself instead of letting Yugi except the challenge I offered to _you_. Letting your friend take the fall for you is the most cowardly action of them all.

"Yugi told me to back off Kaiba! If he hadn't I would be mopping the floor right now with your pretty boy hair!" the blonde growled making his resemblance to a dog more convincing than ever.

Kaiba rolled his blue eyes and turned his attention back to the game. He knew, of course, that if he provoked Jounouchi into action Yugi, always the hero, would step in and accept the challenge for him. He'd been hoping for another shot at Motou's title and the boy's protective personality allowed him just that.

He was wrenched from his thoughts as his opponent finally spoke. "I'll lay one card face down and end my turn." He said resolutely, placing the orange and brown piece of cardboard down upon the table top.

It was over. Kaiba grinned from ear to ear, something that seemed oddly unsettling upon his usually stern face. "Then I win Yugi! My Blue Eyes attacks your Kuriboh and your life points drop to zero! I am victorious!"

"Not so fast!" Yugi said, revealing the face down card. "I activate Magic Cylinder! Now your Blue Eye's attack is reflected right back at you!

"NO!" Kaiba cried as his life points dwindled down to nothing and the nerd herd all cheered Yugi's brilliance.

"Nice duel Kaiba" the amethyst eyed boy grinned stretching out a hand which Kaiba completely ignored.

"Mokuba! We're going!" he spat, grabbing his cards and standing abruptly.

"But big brother…"

"NOW!" Kaiba roared in annoyance. As he turned to seize his brother roughly by the collar he felt something knock lightly against his foot. Glancing downwards, he saw the apple Ryou had been devouring earlier. He gingerly lifted the fruit from the ground and thrust it out towards the pale teen. "Keep a better hold on your food." He muttered without looking at him.

A peculiar sensation, almost like a shock spread through out his finger tips as Ryou's hand brushed against his own to relieve him of the apple. Stupid static electricity.

"Sorry." The albino muttered and there was a blush in his soft voice.

"Whatever." The CEO said dismissively, using his now fruit free hand to clutch the back of his brothers shirt and drag him towards the door, Mokuba mouthing apologies to the others the entire way out.

* * *

_Damn!_ Kaiba kicked moodily at a pebble that lay on the sidewalk before him, a string of curses slipping through his lips as he continued on. _I go through all that trouble to get a rematch and Motou's not even home! _

Ever since the disastrous challenge at Yugi's birthday party, Kaiba's skin wrinkled with humiliation and he was itching for a rematch, if only the midget would be home when he actually found free time to challenge him! He'd skipped a board meeting and for what?! A pointless walk down this miserably deserted street! "How wonderful!" he spat with venomous sarcasm. The wind lifted his dark bangs from his forehead and played gently with the ends of his long white cloak. Children's laughter drifted to his ears from a park not far off from where he trod and the sun smiled down upon his lonesome form. It was as though the entire world were mocking him with its pure elated air that was completely at odds with his current icy demeanor.

He meandered on, since returning to Kaiba Corp during the middle of a meeting seemed even more unappealing then trekking down this empty path. Or was it really empty? The light sound of humming reached the brunette's ears and he turned a corner to see a familiar figure seated casually underneath the shade of an apple tree. His long white hair fell back from his pale face and a small smile stretched his almost invisible lips. His head lay back against the smooth bark of the tree's trunk and his nearly translucent eye lids were closed.

Kaiba did not know what made him do it, but the words were out of his mouth before he could snatch them back. "Hello Ryou."

Brown eyes opened wide and Ryou's face took on a stunned expression as he turned to face him. "Kaiba?!" The boy quickly jumped up, brushing the grass and twigs that clung to his clothing with his left hand, the other clutched a half eaten ruby red apple.

"The one in the same." He smiled, wait…_smiled_! He, Seto Kaiba, did not _smile_ to anyone but Mokuba, and especially not to one of Yugi's cheerleading friends! The brunette dropped the grin quickly to replace it with his usual indifferent smirk, wondering were the friendly gesture had come from anyway.

"What's the big bad CEO of Kiaba Corp doing standing beside my lonesome apple tree?" Ryou leaned back against the plant's trunk and took another mouthful of the fruit in his palm.

"Are you ever _without _an apple?" Kaiba questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Ryou glanced down at the scarlet produce and shrugged. "Sometimes yes, and you didn't answer my question." He smiled then, small and light and for some reason it made the CEO want to grin like an idiot too. He resisted the urge. What the hell was wrong with him?!

"I went by to see if Motou was up for a rematch but the shop was closed." The blue eyed teen replied, wondering why he was actually telling the truth to this almost-stranger.

"Oh." More munching. Was the albino going to say something or not?!

"Sooo…I better go back to Kaiba Corp." The CEO put in after the white haired boy failed to add more to the conversation. He turned on his heel, the ends of his long coat swirling around him and headed back down the street.

"Kaiba wait!" foots steps and then a prod on his shoulder.

"What?!" he snapped, trying to make his expression look careless and mask the peculiar sensation of weightlessness that had settled over his heart at Ryou's soft touch.

"Ummm…Kaiba Corp is _that_ way." Ryou giggled, pointing back over his shoulder.

"Oh." And for the first time in God knows how long, Seto Kaiba blushed.

* * *

"Hey Kaiba!" Yugi grinned as the CEO's lofty form strode in through the game shop entrance. There was no air of surprise, no exclamation of 'What are you doing here?!' as the spiky haired boy greeted the newcomer. If it had been three months ago and the lanky brunette had waltzed right into the King of Game's establishment, then the smaller boy might have been confused. As it were, Yugi simply smiled and called up the stair case for Ryou. "He's here! We're coming up!"

"Alright!" the white haired boy's voice replied and Kaiba felt, as he always did whenever he heard the pale boy's voice, an unexplainable heat surge to his face and his heart accelerate to ten times its normal speed. Symptoms like these could not be healthy…maybe he should see a doctor…

"Hey Kaiba!" Jounouchi's voice drawled from behind the CEO as he sauntered into the shop/house. The brunette didn't know when he had stopped replying to the blonde's greetings with distain and sarcasm. It puzzled him as he thought back to moments when sitting in the same room with him had been unbearable. The blue eyed boy wouldn't exactly call them 'friends' or even that they were on friendly relations, but the fact that he didn't slap the idiots hand away when he clapped him on the back bewildered the young billionaire greatly.

Kaiba often wondered why he continued to call upon the inhabitants of the game shop. As he followed Jounouchi's blonde head up the staircase to the second floor, he chanted like a mantra in his head that it was to find an opportunity to challenge Yugi for his title once more. _But if that was the case, _a small voice whispered in the back of his mind, _then why is it that Duel Monsters is never discussed during these visits?_ Memories were pulled back to the surface of his thoughts, days when the spiky haired duelist hadn't even been home and he'd lingered anyway, talking with Ryou until he realized the time and fled back to Kaiba Corp.

Ryou. As the thought fluttered through his mind the boy appeared, clad in ,Kaiba could help but notice, a form fitting t-shirt that only made his thin body all the more prominent. _It was definitely a good look for him, _the same small voice whispered and he beat the notion back with revulsion. There was a small apple-shaped barrette clasped neatly around a few strands of his diamond hair, and an identical piece of fruit

"Come on in guys!" Ryou chimed, pulling back the door and leading them into his bedroom, which seemed to be the unofficial meeting place for all group gatherings.

Jonouchi took his usual seat, stretched out beneath the window sill. Yugi flopped down onto the carpet in front of Ryou's book case, the white haired boy collapsed upon his neatly made bed. Kaiba sat down next to the red bed skirt, his back leaning against the comforter.

"So…Yugi said slowly, fumbling through the pockets of the oversized jacket he wore. "This just came into the shop today. Brand new and not even sold in most stores yet." he smiled as his fingers clasped around the thing he was looking for, and extracted his hand from his coat pocket to reveal a shiny, circular blue object with a red button at its center.

"What is that?!" Ryou asked curiously, taking a bite of his apple and leaning over the edge of the bed so that his hair fluttered slightly into Kaiba's face. The CEO pretended he didn't care.

"Tattletale!" Yugi beamed brightly. "It's a truth game. Each turn a different person takes the buzzer…" he indicated towards the blue and red object. "…and someone else asks them a question. They'll say their answer then press the button. If the person is telling the truth then nothing will happen, but if the person is lying…" and here the boy grinned slyly "…then the mechanism will read then increase of their pulse and buzz. For example…" he pushed down the button. "…I am a six foot tall professional basketball player." As he lifted his finger from the switch the little device in his palm buzzed obnoxiously like a siren.

"Cool." Jounouchi breathed. "Can I go Yug?"

"Sure." Yugi tossed him the buzzer.

"Somebody ask me a question!" he begged, making Kaiba roll his eyes.

"I know…" the CEO said a malicious smile spreading across his features. "Have you ever gotten drunk and had a one night stand?"

"Why would you ask a question like that?! We're not even old enough to drink!" But Kaiba couldn't miss the slight shake in his defiant tone.

"Just answer the question mutt."

"No I haven't." Jounouchi said evenly, pressing down the button and recoiling as it let out an offensive ring.

"Who?!" Yugi gasped through peals of laughter as Jounouchi blushed seventeen shades of scarlet.

"None of your business!" the blonde growled, tossing the mechanism towards the small boy's head. "Your turn."

Yugi caught the projectile and looked around at everyone. "Somebody ask me something!" he insisted.

"Oh I know!" Ryou pushed his head up on his elbows and Kaiba tried, and failed, to ignore the fair skin of his delicate neck and the sweet smell of apples that rolled off of him like delectable perfume. "Have you ever kissed anyone?!"

"What is this sixth grade? Of course he's kissed someone right Yug." Jounouchi said defiantly, nudging his friend in the ribs.

"Yeah." Yugi laughed nervously, pushing down the red switch. The buzzer's siren rang out through the room.

"You haven't?!" Jounouchi exclaimed as Ryou tittered and Kaiba smirked.

"Shut up!" Yugi cried chunking the gadget at the blonde's head, and flushing crimson.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Yugi." Jounouchi, dodging the missile, said soothingly, though judging by his expression, Kaiba could tell he was fighting back a smile. He lifted the buzzer from the ground. "I've already gone!" he stated, tossing the mechanism in Ryou and Kaiba's direction. The latter ducked and the button sailed over him, smacking Ryou square in the forehead.

"Sorry!" the thrower muttered apologetically as Ryou massaged his scalp.

"No problem." He grinned, though the spot on his face now shown bright red like a target. "Somebody ask me something."

"Okay…" Yugi said after having recovered slightly from his embarrassment, though his cheeks were still tinged pink. "Do you have a crush on someone?"

"That's a good one!" Jounouchi giggled, leaning forward and gazing at Ryou with expectant eyes.

Yugi glanced at him as well and Kaiba tired to ignore the suddenly hastened speed at which his heart now drummed as he turned his eyes on the white haired boy.

"Umm…No?" Ryou said slowly, pressing down the switch. He recoiled as the device let out an ear jarring screech.

"Who?!" Jounouchi and Yugi gasped in unison. Kaiba blatantly denied the hopefulness that filled his entire being at that moment.

"I'm not telling." Ryou muttered, twirling the strands of his silky hair nervously between his fingers and blushing scarlet.

"Oh come on!" the other two whined, giving him pleading looks, but the boy only shook his head.

"Your turn Seto!" he chirped sweetly, dropping the little buzzer in said teen's lap. It was the first time anyone other than Mokuba had called him Seto, and for some reason it made the young CEO want to jump around like a two year old on a sugar high. Yep…he definitely needed to go to the doctor.

"Oh I've got a good one for Kaiba!" Jounouchi grinned like the idiot he was, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Are you gay?"

"What kind of convoluted question is that?!" Kaiba growled, pressing down the button. "Of course I'm not gay!" the entire room went silent as the little device screeched like a banshee. Kaiba gazed down at the buzzer as though staring at it long enough would make the horrible noise go away.

Finally the sound ceased and everyone starred at him, mouths open wide before Jounouchi broke the silence with a raucous cry of laughter. "I fucking knew it!"

Yugi and the blonde fell into relentless peals of mirth, Ryou shooting Kaiba an interesting and unreadable look.

"This thing is so broken!" the brunette cried, throwing the mechanism at the ground and trying uselessly to cover the heat of his face.

* * *

The stars were winking brilliantly up in the sky by the time Kaiba prepared to leave the Game shop. Downstairs Yugi and Jounouchi were saying their good byes. At least the blonde was leaving. He'd spent the last three hours taunting Kaiba about his ambiguous sexual orientation and the CEO had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from lashing out and punching the blonde right in the jaw, something he'd wanted to do since meeting him. If only there weren't witnesses…

The brunette was brought out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ryou, ringing his hair between his fingers and blushing like there was no tomorrow.

"What do you want Bakura?" Kaiba questioned, trying forcefully to keep the color of his cheeks from matching Ryou's.

The pale boy flinched, as he always did when ever someone used his last name. "Please call me Ryou, Seto." He whispered, tugging at his fine pallid locks. "There was something I wanted tell you."

"Yes." Kaiba's heart rate accelerated as he realized it was only they inside the otherwise empty room.

"Umm…I…umm." Kaiba was beginning to wonder how the poor boy wasn't bald with the way his fingers clawed at his white tresses. "I…would like another apple. Could you please get me one?"

"Oh." Kaiba tried his best not to sound dejected. "Alright." He turned towards the door, his crestfallen expression hidden from view.

Since his back was turned his missed the miserable look that contorted the Ryou's face as he smacked himself hard on the forehead and pulled restlessly at the ends of his hair once more.

Kaiba stalked past Yugi without a word, completely ignoring the farewell the younger shouted after him. The amethyst eyed boy quirked and eyebrow and turned to see Ryou trudging down the stairs as well, pulling on coat over his short sleeved shirt. The apple barrette the boy had clipped so immaculately now clutched onto the bottom strands of his hair as if holding on for dear life. "Are you okay?" Yugi asked as the taller boy grabbed an apple off the counter and shoved it greedily into his mouth.

"Fine." Came the muffled reply. Ryou swallowed. "Just going out for a walk." He smiled, but to Yugi the gesture looked oddly strained.

"Alright see you later by-" he was cut off as Ryou slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Kaiba turned over restlessly in his bed, cobalt eyes always trailing back to the alarm clock stationed upon his night stand. 2:00 A.M. The young CEO growled, shoving his head underneath the feathery pillows that surrounded him, as though blocking out the sight would make him sleep. But, even as he lay, eyes closed, his heart was still hammering a fevered frenzy and his thoughts jumbled about in a chaotic whirlwind. _Ryou's desperate expression as he tugged at the ends of his hair. Kaiba's mammoth pulse as the pale boy approached him. The sounding as the little buzzer read his lie._

Kaiba ripped the pillow off his head and glared at the clock once more. 2:01 A.M. "Ahhh!" Kaiba hurled the pillow at the electronic device, knocking it off the bedside table. He threw the comforter off his jittery form and wobbled over to the dresser, throwing on his traditional black clothing and white cape ensemble, not bothering to fix his hair or really even glance at his reflection.

"Big brother?" Mokuba's bedraggled head poked around the door. "Why were you yelling?"

The elder Kaiba strode over and tussled the smaller's already disheveled hair. "It was nothing Mokuba."

"Where are you going?" the black haired boy swayed where he stood, obviously still half asleep.

"Out for a walk." Kaiba stated simply, lifting his little brother off the ground and carrying him down the hall to his bedroom.

He laid the boy down and smiled for he had already fallen back into the realm of dreams. Kaiba kissed his brow then strode down to the kitchen. His blue eyes roved the shelves and, as if God were giving him a sign, he lifted an apple from the fruit drawer.

He opened his mouth wide intent on devouring the morsel then stopped, lips still parted and a much grander idea forming in his minds eye.

Kaiba kicked open the front door and stalked out into the night, the crimson produce still clutched tightly in his palm. _If he's awake, he'll be there._ The small voice in his mind whispered and for once Kaiba listened.

* * *

Ryou sighed, leaning back against the trunk of the apple tree and starring glumly at the remains of his devoured apple. He'd polished the fruit off a while ago and now sat with nothing but his thoughts to keep him occupied. And what thoughts they were. Swiveling torrents of confusion and he delved through them, trying to find some meaning, though there was none. His brown eyes glanced down at his watch. Ryou groaned. It was already 2:30 in the morning! Yugi would be worried sick! And though he knew the anguish he might cause his friend, the boy did not move from his spot.

So he returned home, then what? More hopeless thoughts? More desperate wandering? No, at least here he could think strait, try to organize his rationalizations from his romantic feelings. That _was_ what he felt for Seto right? A tender attraction. All the signs pointed that way. The sweaty palms, stammering heart, loss of speech and above all, hopeless blushing.

He sighed, gazing out at the night sky once more. This was what liking somebody was and it scared and enthralled him. Bewildered and entranced him. Ryou just didn't understand.

A sudden sound brought him out of his silent musings. The boy turned his white head and gasped as the lanky form of Seto Kaiba emerged from the gloom. His hair was disheveled and his usually pristine cloak needed a good ironing, but to Ryou there was no finer sight in the world.

The CEO strode gracefully over to him, his silhouette black against the pale light of the moon. "I knew you'd be here."

Ryou's breath caught in his throat at the sound of that silky voice.

"Do you mind if I sit here."

Ryou shook his head, not sure if the brunette had seen it in the darkness, but the next second the teen's cloak was swirling around him as he took a seat next to the other boy.

Ryou blushed. They were so close together, yet something inside him told him it was not close enough. He scooted nearer to the blue eyed boy, and Seto showed no sigh of protest, not even when Ryou tentatively laid his head upon his shoulder.

"What are we doing?" the white haired boy whispered as, Seto fingered the ends of his silvery hair that cascaded over onto his chest.

"I have no idea." But there was a smile in his voice and his eyes twinkled in the moon light. "I haven't given you that apple yet." he murmured before reaching into his coat and revealing a sparkling piece of crimson fruit.

Ryou smiled, taking the apple into his hands. "Thank you."

"No problem." And nervously, Seto placed his lips gently against the top of the boy's head.

Ryou's faced flushed cherry red as he smiled and took a bite.

* * *

A/N: Ugh! That was too long! And sappy! Oh well…I still hope you liked it! Please review!


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